Scotland cracks down on unsafe cosmetic treatments with new safety bill

For years, cosmetic doctors have called on the government to regulate injectable treatments like Botox and fillers, warning about the dangers of an unlicensed industry. But those calls have largely gone unanswered – with serious consequences for members of the public who have ended up in the hands of unqualified or rogue practitioners.

In a bid to improve safety standards, the Scottish Government has announced plans to introduce a non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bills, a major step toward regulating aesthetic treatments such as fillers, Botox, and other non-invasive procedures.

Revealed in the Programme for Government 2025–26, published on May 6, the Bill is part of Scotland’s wider legislative agenda aimed at ‘Building the Best Future for Scotland.’ It will focus on enhancing client safety, ensuring that treatments are only carried out in registered, appropriate premises, and establishing clear enforcement standards for aesthetic providers.

Consultant Dermatologist and founder of Self London, Dr Anjali Mahto, welcomed the move, telling WH: ‘The Scottish Government’s decision to introduce a this bill is a positive move forward in ensuring patient safety and upholding professional standards within the aesthetics industry. By mandating that specific procedures are conducted in registered, suitable premises, this initiative aims to protect individuals seeking aesthetic treatments. My hope is that the rest of the UK will adopt similar measures promptly to create a consistent and safe framework nationwide.’

The Bill follows a public consultation on introducing a licensing scheme for non-surgical aesthetics, which ran from December 20, 2024, to February 14, 2025. The proposed framework categorised procedures into three groups, depending on their risk level and the qualifications required to perform them – echoing a similar consultation carried out in England in 2023.